Oneida County Library announces ‘Books for Babies’ initiative

In the US, Oneida County libraries located in the state of New York have received funding of US$25,000 (A$32,480) for a ‘Books for Babies’ program, which will provide a free book to every Oneida County newborn.

This amount comes out of a total US$47,500 (A$61,720) in county funding, which has been allotted to institute multiple library initiatives, including increasing the number of ebooks and digital audiobooks in the libraries’ collections and a summer reading program.

The Books for Babies initiative will give the county’s libraries ‘the opportunity to work with parents and community caregivers early on to reinforce the essential literacy skills necessary for development,’ said Chris Sagaas, director of the Utica Public Library. ‘Engaging with the primary adults in a child’s life has proven to be one of the most effective means of improving early literacy skills.’

The money came from gaming revenue collected as part of a prior settlement agreement with the Oneida Nation.

‘Our libraries are an irreplaceable resource to this community,’ said county executive Anthony J Picente Jr. ‘This [increased funding] has led to the development of new programs such as those announced today and has helped immensely to strengthen the literacy of our youth and adults.’

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Category: Library news International